Help with finding kits

[Blastvader]

Hello all you floaty types,

I'm hoping you might lend me some of your vast knowledge as regards kit availability.

I've recently had somewhat of a hankering to build a ship, a hankering somewhat strengthened by playing a lot of Atlantic Fleet on my PC.

Whilst researching some of the ships available in the game I came across a local connection in that Blyth (the town in Northumberland I am unfortunately a resident of) was the site of a shipyard that produced several Castle, Flower, River, Bangor and Bay class ships during the Second World War. As well as completing the conversion of the first escort carrier from Hannover to HMS Audacity.

Now, knowing very little about ships in general with no nautical family connects and with even less knowledge about model ships I'm wondering if any of you fine chaps or chapettes might be able to help me in my search for one of these classes of ships that I could make in to a suitable Blyth built version?

Ideally I'm not looking for something massive (so the Revell Flower Class is out of the window) but I would still like something with a bit of presence (12" or so) as such I was thinking something in between 1/144 and 1/350 might work well for most of these ships apart from the Audacity. But scratchbuilding is out due to limited time and even more limited ability.

So, fine people of the Maritime Modelling forum, is there anything out there?

Cheers,

Paul

[Mike McCabe]

Your best bet of those options would be one of the Mirage Flower class kits in 1/350, there are a number of options if you do a search. The rest I'm afraid are not available in 1/350 at the moment.

Mike

[bootneck]

White Ensign Models (now defunct) produced a nice resin model of a Castle class frigate, perhaps you may find one on ebay or somewhere similar. Mirage Hobby produces various Flower class corvettes in 1:350 scale (7" long). Revell are due to produce a 1:144 scale Flower class corvette, this will be about 17" long and due in 2016.

Mike

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

The WEM resin kits should hopefully start to reappear this year.

[Niall]

If you are thinking of a Flower class I would recommend this book(I have the hardback - I'm not sure if the paperback is identical) -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shipcraft-Special-Flower-Class-Corvettes-y/dp/1848320647/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457117134&sr=1-1&keywords=shipcraft+flower+class

Also this website might have some useful photos -

http://theflowerclasscorvetteforums.yuku.com/

[Blastvader]

Hi all. Thanks for your replies. I had seen the White Ensign Castle Class on one of my more fruitful Google sessions but the fact that they say that the stuff is apparently made in the UK, then shipped to the US...and then shipped back to the UK for UK buyers seems so bass ackward it's making my head spin. So lovely as their stuff looks, when they're back in action they've already lost my custom.

I'm in no desperate hurry for a model regardless, it's just something I've been pondering for a little bit and the local connection has spurred me on somewhat.

I'll look in to the Mirage kits as a starting point, but the 1/144 Revell offering is very tempting if a little larger than I wanted to go.

I've just spotted that book on Amazon just before you posted Niall. A serious contender for a slice of this months pay-packet I must say.

[bootneck]

.................I had seen the White Ensign Castle Class on one of my more fruitful Google sessions but the fact that they say that the stuff is apparently made in the UK, then shipped to the US...and then shipped back to the UK for UK buyers seems so bass ackward it's making my head spin. So lovely as their stuff looks, when they're back in action they've already lost my custom.

If I remember it correctly, the parts were mastered in UK for WEM, who were also based in UK; however, WEM went into administration and the stock was purchased by Tom's Modelworks, who is US based. Since then Sovereign Hobbies, a UK based supplier has been liaising with Tom's Modelworks and should be importing these models for sale here. Don't get disheartened, lots of companies have models mastered/produced by sub-contractors overseas and then imported and distributed to shops/suppliers in the UK.

Mike

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

The PE is still etched in the UK but the frets are just shipped off as they come to the US for packaging etc. That's most cost effective since paying someone in the UK to print instructions, labels etc is expensive, so Richard does that himself in the same way that we label our tins ourselves.

This isn't really practical for resin which is far bulkier so the reason why the resin isn't available is because Richard is looking for someone to produce them in the US.

[Harquebus]

For a stated length of 12" and "presence" (lots of nasty guns), I'd look no further than a 1/350 destroyer; US Fletcher-class or a Tribal-class. Trumpeter or Tamiya, etc.

[Graham Boak]

Seal Models did a River class (2 to a pack) but in 1/700 so too small for you. I'd have thought that the WEM Castle would be a bit small too. There are very few of these smaller warships available in any scale, and few kits at all in anything above 1/350. Audacity is a lovely thought, but wishful thinking I'm afraid. Would that it was otherwise.

But being from Blyth, wouldn't a collier be more representative?

[Blastvader]

For a stated length of 12" and "presence" (lots of nasty guns), I'd look no further than a 1/350 destroyer; US Fletcher-class or a Tribal-class. Trumpeter or Tamiya, etc.

Thanks Harquebus. They may not have a 'local' connection but building HMS Zulu or the like could be fun.

Seal Models did a River class (2 to a pack) but in 1/700 so too small for you. I'd have thought that the WEM Castle would be a bit small too. There are very few of these smaller warships available in any scale, and few kits at all in anything above 1/350. Audacity is a lovely thought, but wishful thinking I'm afraid. Would that it was otherwise.

But being from Blyth, wouldn't a collier be more representative?

Most likely Graham. Though a cola ship has a little less excitement than a shoot-bang bedecked ship of war. Still a possibility. I did pick up one of Revell's 1/144th trawlers with the intention of giving it a Stonehaven (where I grew up) code so a collier might be interesting. Do you know of anything available?

[Graham Boak]

Sadly no. I was tempted to do a model railway coal staith, but it was far too ambitious. I did see a coal staith (bit of) plus collier model made once, but it was scratchbuilt. Loose Cannon were going to do a 1/700 collier but I don't think it has appeared yet.

[cngaero]

Hello all you floaty types,

I'm hoping you might lend me some of your vast knowledge as regards kit availability.

I've recently had somewhat of a hankering to build a ship, a hankering somewhat strengthened by playing a lot of Atlantic Fleet on my PC.

Whilst researching some of the ships available in the game I came across a local connection in that Blyth (the town in Northumberland I am unfortunately a resident of) was the site of a shipyard that produced several Castle, Flower, River, Bangor and Bay class ships during the Second World War. As well as completing the conversion of the first escort carrier from Hannover to HMS Audacity.

Now, knowing very little about ships in general with no nautical family connects and with even less knowledge about model ships I'm wondering if any of you fine chaps or chapettes might be able to help me in my search for one of these classes of ships that I could make in to a suitable Blyth built version?

Ideally I'm not looking for something massive (so the Revell Flower Class is out of the window) but I would still like something with a bit of presence (12" or so) as such I was thinking something in between 1/144 and 1/350 might work well for most of these ships apart from the Audacity. But scratchbuilding is out due to limited time and even more limited ability.

So, fine people of the Maritime Modelling forum, is there anything out there?

Cheers,

Paul

It's a small world Paul. I'm from Blyth originally and grew up in sight of the old shipyard. My Dad was an apprentice there before he joined the Merchant Navy in the 50's.

There's a local historian called Gordon Smith, who's had a number of books published on the history of Blyth in photographs. He's got literally thousands of photos that he holds for the local history group.

He's got his own Facebook page although, I've never used it as I don't use Facebook. However he is very approachable and very helpful.

I once went to his house whilst searching for photos which he had managed to obtain for me. I popped in for five minutes and came out three hours later and could have spent much longer, but I had to pick SWMBO up.

My father in law is in regular contact with Gordon, so if you would like to get in touch with him, just PM me and I'll see what I can do.

Good luck with your project.

[AWFK10]

Thanks Harquebus. They may not have a 'local' connection but building HMS Zulu or the like could be fun.

Most likely Graham. Though a cola ship has a little less excitement than a shoot-bang bedecked ship of war. Still a possibility. I did pick up one of Revell's 1/144th trawlers with the intention of giving it a Stonehaven (where I grew up) code so a collier might be interesting. Do you know of anything available?

How about the Airfix Endeavour? Famous for her connection with Captain Cook, of course, but before being purchased by the RN she was the Whitby collier Earl of Pembroke - similar vessels would have been very common at Blyth. I can recommend "Collier Brigs and their Sailors", by Sir Walter Runciman (ISBN 0 85177 043 6) - all about Blyth vessels in the mid 1800s, with illustrations of some of them. It's out of print but you could try inter-library loan.